Electronic apparatuses include various input devices. Game machines are actuated with the tiling of joy sticks.
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a conventional input device disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-173214, and FIG. 10 is an top view of the device. Rotary input devices 2, such as variable resistors, are mounted on outer sides of case 1 of a substantially-cubic shape adjacent to each other, respectively. Input devices 2 have operating shafts extending towards the center of the case 1. Rotatable members 3 are accommodated in case 1 and extend perpendicularly to each other. Rotatable members 3 couple to the operating shafts of the rotary input devices 2 to rotate together with the shafts, respectively. The rotatable member 3 has center hole 3A therein into which bar actuator 4 is inserted. The rotatable members 3 are held at their positions with urging members so that actuator 4 is at its neutral position orthogonal to the rotatable members 3 when not being actuated.
When actuator 4 is actuated or tilted, the rotatable members 3 rotate according to their tilting angle. This allows the operating shafts of the rotary input devices 2 to rotate for producing predetermined outputs.
When actuator 4 stops tilting, the urging members cause the rotatable members 3 to return back to their original positions. Then, actuator 4 returns back to the neutral position while being guided in center holes 3A of the rotatable members 3.
As electronic devices have recently been developed for various purposes, input devices are required to be thin and to return easily to neutral positions after tilting or other controlling operation. However, in the conventional input device, actuator 4 returns back to the neutral position for a tilting operation. Case 1 has a height determined by the diameters of rotary input devices 2 mounted on the outer sides of case 1, thus preventing the input device from having a low profile.